A MINUTEMAN NOW, WASHINGTON IS FIRING; EX-SU RUNNING BACK TAKES SOME PARTING SHOTS BEFORE TURNING ATTENTION TO COLGATE.(Sports) - The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY)

Byline: Timothy Gorman Contributing writer

Tim Washington has been playing phone tag this summer with Kareem Jones and he will call him again this weekend.

Washington, who transferred to the University of Massachusetts this season, said he will give Jones, Syracuse's fourth-string running back, advice on how he made it through four years of riding the bench at SU.

Washington is back in a familiar position - buried deep on UMass' depth chart at running back - but he hasn't felt the same discouragement he felt while with the Orange. Washington and the Minutemen will take on Colgate today at 1 p.m. at McGuirk Stadium in Amherst, Mass., to open the I-AA football season.

'Football is fun again,' Washington said on Wednesday. 'Overall, I'm much happier here. It's a better situation.'

Though Washington is listed fourth at running back for the Minutemen, he and running backs coach Guido Falbo said it's a formality and that Washington will appear in the opener against the Raiders. With three-time All-Atlantic 10 tailback Steve Baylark and Connecticut transfer Matt Lawrence ahead of him, there's a lot of talent to carry the ball.

'I know for certain I will be getting in the game,' Washington said. 'I don't want to say how or what type of formations, but I'll definitely play.'

Falbo was a graduate assistant at Syracuse in 2000. So when he heard Washington was joining his running back corps in****Amherst, he called former SU running backs coach David Walker, who is now at Pittsburgh.

Though Washington vocalized disappointment about the lack of carries he was receiving at SU, Walker highly recommended him to the Minutemen.

'(Walker) had nothing but good things to say about (Washington),' Falbo said. 'The first couple days here, Timmy was quiet, just getting a feel for his surroundings, but he's taken the lead with the younger guys and in the weight room.'

Because Washington, a graduate student in UMass' Sports Management program, did not enroll in summer classes, he was not cleared to practice this summer. But since he arrived in Amherst at the beginning of August, he's shed five pounds. Washington said he weighed 187 this week, the lowest he's been since he left high school.

Washington said UMass football is a lot like Syracuse football, though the scholarship restrictions mean there is less depth at each position. The main difference is that Syracuse was run like the NFL and UMass has more of a team atmosphere.

'At Syracuse it was offense and defense, it was a business,' he said. 'I'm glad to finally be around coaches who care about their players off the field again. They make you comfortable and make you feel part of a team.'

Massachusetts was 7-4 last season and had the top scoring defense in I-AA, allowing 13.3 points per game. The Minutemen were ranked as high as No. 5 in the country at one point. Colgate, meanwhile, went 8-4 en route to a share of first place in the Patriot League and an NCAA Division I-AA playoff appearance.

Whether it's the Big East or the Patriot League, Washington is happy where he is.

'It's not something set in stone like in Syracuse when only the starter got reps,' he said. 'A lot of people see this as a step down, but I'm just excited to be playing football again.'

Opening day

Colgate at Massachusetts

When: 1 p.m. today

Where: McGuirk Stadium, Amherst, Mass.

Radio: WKXZ-FM 93.9 (Norwich)

All-time series: Colgate leads 4-1

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PHOTO

File photo/Frank Ordonez, 2005

TIM WASHINGTON, a former Syracuse running back, is now playing at Division I-AA Massachusetts. The Minutemen welcome Colgate today in the season opener for both teams.